The wind in February comes from the plateau, and it is slightly cool but also dry. It is the dry season now, but the newly built white walls of the camp are wet, as if it had rained.
At this moment, a tanned young craftsman in his twenties was standing next to the white stone wall, studying it carefully. He pressed his calloused hands on the surface of the white wall and felt the texture of the wall.
Hardness and moisture. Then, he scratched the wall with his nails, leaving shallow marks.
If you look carefully, you will see that there are already a row of scratches of different shades on the long white wall. These marks seem to express some kind of natural mystery, or they are like mysterious divine patterns, which are elusive.
"It's so strange...it changes every day!..."
The young craftsman frowned and looked at the scratches on the wall, as if he wanted to see the flowers. Next to him, there was a huge pottery jar filled with water from the nearby river, and a wooden tree floating on the water.
Ladle. The young craftsman thought for a while, scooped up some more water, and poured it on one side of the stone wall. His hand was very steady and he tried to pour it evenly, so he poured it slowly.
In this moment, Koscach had already walked over with a copper stick in his arms. He came to the white wall, looked at it for a moment, and thought thoughtfully. Then he pulled out the stick, took a deep breath, and then
Swing out suddenly.
"boom!"
The copper rod hit the white wall hard, and a small crater was made. At this time, if you look carefully at the sunken surface of the small crater, you can find that this neat white wall is not made of stone! Little did you know that the camp
What methods did the craftsmen in the building use to build such a white wall that looks just like the real thing?
"Well...the depth of one knuckle is shallower than a few days ago..."
Koscage stretched out his finger and gestured for a moment before nodding. There was a slight smile on his face, but also the same doubts as the young craftsman.
"It's really strange..."
"God bless you! Boss, you are here!"
Seeing the person coming, the young craftsman lowered his head and bowed respectfully. Koscage raised the corners of his mouth and accepted the salute with a smile before saying with a smile.
"God bless you! Tanniao, you have been here these days, taking care of this stone wall, but have you discovered anything?"
The young craftsman in front of him, named Tantiao, is one of Koscach's apprentices. It's just that he never likes his apprentices to call him master, but calls him "boss". This title is like the leader of a wolf pack.
, just like the leader of a flock of birds, it can make him feel the other party's obedience. As a craftsman leader with a civilian background, what he likes most is the obedience of his subordinates.
"Boss, look at this side, look at this side again!"
Tanniao nodded, first pointed to the front side of the white wall that was watered, and then pointed to the side of the white wall that was not watered, and preached seriously.
"The watered side is harder than the unwatered side!"
"Um?"
Koskaci held the copper stick, stabilized his strength, and tapped the front and then the back. Then he took out his fingers and traced, and sure enough, the marks on the front were lighter.
"It's weird!...It's getting harder every day, and the watered ones are harder than the ones that haven't been watered...Isn't this thing different from what His Highness described? Could it be that this is some kind of divine revelation?
of cement?”
Koskaqi thought about His Highness' divine revelation, touched his chin, and looked at Tanniao.
"Tanniao, how long have we been building this wall?"
"Boss, let me do the math... I hurried back from the mountains on the Colima side on the bad day last year before the New Year. Numbers 5 to 60 people brought back big and small bags.
Thousands of kilograms of volcanic ash. Then, everyone worked together to prepare freshly burned quicklime. Finally, they mixed these types of volcanic ash with quicklime, added stones, and built six or seven walls..."
Tanniao stretched out his finger and thought about it for a long time, finally coming up with a rough number.
"It's the end of February now. Even if it's not two months...whatever, it must be a month and a half!"
"It's been a month and a half..."
Koscacci frowned, stretched out his stick, and knocked on the white wall again. He listened carefully, listened to the sound again, and whispered to himself.
"Tsk, tsk. The hardness is probably like that of adobe bricks that have not been heated enough. Compared with stones, they are still brittle. Well, the inside is not firm enough, but it is better than a few days ago. It's really strange. His Highness said that it will be ready in five or six days.
, as hard as a stone and integrated into one body. We have been here for two months and it is still not fully healed!"
"Boss, don't worry. In the first few days, this wall was as brittle as mud, just like the other walls. At that time, I thought it had failed again. Who knew that when I took a look in a few days, it actually turned out to be
It's like it's alive, it's getting harder, and now it even looks like some bricks... Several other walls have been knocked down, but for now, I'm just counting on this one!"
As Tanniao spoke, a smile appeared on his face and he looked at the master eagerly. Koskaqi suddenly raised his eyebrows, thought carefully for a while, and nodded.
"Okay! The volcanic ash sent by the Colima ministries last year is of no use at all, and I don't know where it was dug out at random. His Highness didn't explain clearly what kind of ash he wanted!... In the end, it's still
Fortunately, you made a trip in person, packed big and small bags, and dug out several kinds of ashes. You were so busy that you didn’t even celebrate the New Year. If this thing comes to pass, no matter what others say, I will put your name at the front.
!”
"Ah! Praise the Lord God, praise the master... No, praise the boss, praise the father!"
Upon hearing this promise, Tanniao quickly knelt down on the ground and kowtowed his head several times with "bang, bang". Then he raised his head, his forehead was red, and his face was beaming with smiles.
"Boss, I have never had a father since I was a child, and I have always regarded you as my father!... If I can become a master craftsman, I will definitely support you in my old age!"
"Ha, it's not like I don't have a son! Tanniao, as long as you can be worthy of me from now on!..."
Seeing this, Koscach grinned, feeling quite relieved in his heart. He stretched out his hand, patted Tanniao's shoulder heavily, and said with a smile.
"Do a good job, you are still young! I am a master craftsman in his twenties, thank you for following me!... If you can catch His Highness's eye, you might still have a chance to go to Shenwei University and go to the university.
Once!"
This chapter is not over yet, please click on the next page to continue reading! "Ah, Shenwei University? What is that place?"
Hearing this, Tanniao was a little dazed, with confusion on his dark face. He had not had a father since he was a child, and his family was so poor that his mother had remarried. After becoming a craftsman's apprentice, he returned to the kiln as a master.
It has nothing to do with my family. As for this kind of university, I have never heard of it.
"Ha! That's where the weeds jump and grow into corn! If you're lucky, you might even get some cocoa..."
Koscach shook his head with a smile. He stretched out his hand and touched Tanniao's head with a solemn expression.
"This is a long way to go. The most important thing right now is to actually get out the cement that His Highness told you!... I ask you, if you saw the dust mixed in when building this wall again, would you be able to recognize it?
"
"Boss, we can definitely do it!"
Tanniao nodded heavily and replied with a smile.
"It is gray and whitish, and is as fine as sand. It is very hard and cannot be dissolved in water. To remember the ash, I licked it many times. The surface was like obsidian debris, which scratched my tongue.
.I can remember that taste for the rest of my life!”
Hearing this, Koscach raised his brows and smiled with satisfaction. He was very satisfied with his apprentice's cruelty.
"When poor people come out and don't have this fierceness, how can they compete with others?..."
Thinking of this, Koskaqi felt a little worried again. His two sons were good at everything else, but they just lacked this spirit. When he looked at his apprentice Tanniao again, his eyes became softer, and he reminded him sincerely.
"Tanniao, remember! Even if it takes a long time, as long as this wall is finally as hard as bricks, we can give His Highness a satisfactory explanation! And if His Highness is satisfied, you will be prosperous!"
"Yes, boss, I will listen to you! I will water this wall once in the morning and evening!"
Tanniao nodded repeatedly, and while talking, he picked up the water ladle and poured it on the other side of the wall.
"Huh? Your way of watering..."
Seeing this, Koskaci frowned again. His Highness made it clear that the cement will be ready in a few days, and water should only be added in the first few days. If there is too much water, add ash, if there is too much ash, add water, and stop when it is completely hard.
.But this charcoal bird made...
"Boss, don't worry! I've been trying for more than a month, and I have to keep adding water! This wall is like a living thing, absorbing water all the time, and becomes hard after absorbing it. There may be some water inside.
Monster, otherwise how could soft mud turn into hard stone!"
Tanniao grinned, his smile bright and confident. He had touched this wall tens of thousands of times. It was indeed like a living thing, changing every day. If there was really a spirit hidden inside, it had better be a woman.
.
Koscage stretched out his hand and touched both sides of the wall. He was puzzled. It was indeed the side with water that was hard. After a while, he waved his hand.
"Okay! You make up your own mind, and it's all your fault that it's done. If you can't, don't blame me for not giving you a chance!"
"Thank you, boss!"
The loud voice rang in the camp and surrounded the white wall, with a bit of joy. The master and the apprentice touched the stones and crossed the river with their eyes closed, but they really walked out and could change the kingdom and even the world.
step!
If Shulot was here, saw this white wall, and studied it carefully for a while, he would probably have a clear understanding. This is exactly the cement he wants, not the Portland cement that first appeared in later generations, but has already appeared.
More than a thousand years of Roman cement!
Portland cement, also known as ordinary Portland cement, is the most common type of cement in rural areas in later generations, and is the least difficult to bake. The general manufacturing process is to grind limestone and clay together into raw meal, and then calcine the raw meal
When it is partially or completely melted, it is called clinker. Finally, the clinker is added with iron powder or iron slag, and is ground into cement.
All other steps in making cement can be solved by manpower. Only the firing process requires a high temperature of more than 1500 degrees, which consumes a lot of fuel! A high temperature of 1500 degrees will be easy to achieve in later generations, but it is difficult in this era. If
Counting the charcoal and labor costs consumed, multiplied by the huge demand, it is completely unbearable for the current kingdom!
The main component of Portland cement is calcium silicate. After it reacts with water, it will produce calcium silicate hydrate (CSH) and calcium hydroxide. What really determines the hardness of cement is calcium silicate hydrate. Well,
To put it simply and irresponsibly, the more calcium silicate hydrate is produced, the harder and stronger the solidified cement will be.
The hardening process of Roman cement also involves the formation of hydrated calcium silicate. Its manufacturing process does not require burning. It is mixed with quicklime volcanic ash and water at room temperature. The main component of the volcanic ash here is the oxidation emitted by the volcanic movement.
Silicon. In other words, silicon oxide and calcium hydroxide water will eventually form hydrated calcium silicate.
It's just that this reaction process is much gentler and slower, and it also requires constant consumption of water. But the final strength, that is, the hydrated calcium silicate gel produced, is often higher than that of Portland cement. In other words, the more it goes
After that, its strength will be higher, and it is not afraid of blisters or humid environment, and is naturally suitable for the climate of Central America!
Of course, the real Roman cement actually contains corrosion-resistant tobermulite (aluminosilicate). It can react for a long time, continuously provide strength, and keep Roman buildings strong for thousands of years. And this ingredient
The appearance is related to the special volcanic ash.
I'm afraid there is no such component in the volcanic ash in the Colima volcanic area. Strictly speaking, the cement made from it cannot be called "Roman cement", but can only be regarded as "pozzolana cement".
"Cement...is really a divine creation! If you add two kinds of ash together, add water, and mix in sand and gravel, it can slowly turn into a hard boulder..."
Koscak squinted his eyes and looked at the low wall in front of him. Suddenly, he seemed to see a majestic temple standing in front of him, built by his own hands!
"...If this is the case, then from now on, there will no longer be any need for expensive corn mortar when building huge temples, building noble manors, building brick barns, or even building roads underfoot...
A lot of huge boulders!..."
"...If this were the case, it would be much easier to build buildings! And what kind of changes would this bring to the Kingdom in the Lake?..."
Koscacci looked ahead and thought for a long time. He didn't answer, because he had never done it before, so he couldn't imagine it. He just grinned, turned and walked towards his cabin. He wanted to take out the tequila he collected, and just
Drink the salt from the seaside and have a great drink, and you will never stop getting drunk!
"Haha, the Lord God bless you! God bless His Highness... and also bless us!"
This chapter has been completed!